Through the Eyes of God
by Palikala
Summary: Sam's life is slowly falling appart and there's no one to save her......AU, season 8, S/J & J/K, warnings-in later chapters-torture,violence,character deaths...
1. Overture

**Story notes: **As the summary says, the story is slightly AU - Janet and Jacob are already dead, Sam broke up with Pete and Jack is still going out with Kerry and "Threads" didn´t happen (we´re still somewhere in the beginning of season 8).

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Chapter notes: **No warnings + T rated, only a minor spoiler at the beginning....and a bit short chapter (but the next ones will be longer).......enjoy!

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„_How dare you__....killing Daniel, killing everyone! What do you want from me?!"_

„_...I want to kill you."_

„_Stop it! Please don´t kill her!"_

„_You´re pleading for her life now? You didn´t do that for me....."_

„_Please ,let her go! I don´t care what happens to me, just forget about her!"_

„_You´re just like I was back then...but no matter what you do, your plea will be ignored. She can´t be helped! She can´t be saved! It´s best that you stay there and taste her suffering!"_

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„_Chevron 3 encoded."_

Sam watched the gate sweep around, her eyes fixed at the lightening chevrons. She knew he was looking at her, and she was resolved not to look back. She was determined to focus on the mission, to focus on priorities – but the scene was coming back again and again.

„_...I´ll call you later....yeah, I love you too. Bye."_

Sam stiffened in horror in front of the General´s door. Her hand prepared to knock stopped in the middle of movement, her eyes widening and her pulse skipped a beat. She couldn´t believe it – no, that wasn´t possible, she must have misheard it.

„_I love you too."_

_Who was that? Hammond? The President? No, __the phone didn´t click. He must have called from his cell phone_ ––Sam´s mind raced to process the thoughts, when she heard footsteps coming from the office. Confused and shocked she backed away and before she realised it – she was running down the hallway with eyes filling up with tears. Sam ran into the first empty lab and closed the door behind her. Trying to catch her breath, she leant against the door, sliding down them onto the floor, curled up her knees and began to cry.

„_Chevron 7 locked."_

Sam sighed in relief as the opening wormhole interrupted the unpleasant memory. It was still burning inside her like a deep cut, but it was slowly getting better. Slowly...she still didn´t find out who was the mysterious loved one. But it was none of her interest anymore – it was his life, and it was out of her reach. Her life was destroyed, but his was flourishing. And she didn´t want to be the one who would ruin it.

„_SG-1, you´re good to go. Good luck."_

The voice sent chills down her spine. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The planet according to SG-5´s reports was home to a previously unknown alien culture. Sam hoped it would bring some new technology, race, plants – heck, anything – just to get her mind occupied. Sam caught at the corner of her eye Teal´c look, and obtained a small pat on her back.

„Sam?" Daniel asked. He realised something happened in the past days, but he didn´t ask any question. The pat was more comforting and reassuring than any words could. Sam smiled faintly at him, and stepped out to go through the gate.


	2. The Kingdom of Sanctity

That planet was plain creepy. ´Stepping into a new world´ never sounded more appropriate for Sam Carter. Even Goauld strongholds weren´t as intimidating as the thick fog that immediately surrounded her after stepping out of the gate.

"Colonel Carter."

Sam turned around to locate the direction the greeting came from. She recognized the voice of SG-5´s leader, colonel Thurman, but the lack of visual confirmation made her feel a bit uneasy.

"Colonel Thurman," she replied, when she had given up trying to find him.

"Colonel, Doctor," greeted a silhouette emerging from the mist. The voice belonged to another member of SG-5 and Sam sighed in relief.

"Glad to...find you again," smirked Thurman, when they finally could see each other. Sam just left the remark floating around and let Daniel to handle the talking.

"Well, any progress?" Daniel anxiously asked the marines and stepped down from the marble platform the gate has been mounted on. If it hadn´t been for Tealc´s swift reflexes, Daniel would have ended lying face-down in a pile of greasy, smelly mud.

"Careful, Doctor," It sounded like Colonel was trying to suppress a laughter. „This place is surrounded by swamps."

"Thanks for the warning...,"Daniel gathered his balance back and adjusted his glasses. „Thanks, Teal´c, you can let go now," he recieved a sceptic look from his warrior friend, but he was released from his grip nonetheless.

"Okay, now that we had also a demonstration of what NOT to do–shall we proceed?" taunted Thurman, and strided forward.

"How long will it take?"asked Sam, slightly annoyed by his mocking tone.

"Approximately twenty minutes to the temple," answered the younger soldier.

"If we don´t get lost," added Daniel.

"No worries, Doctor Jackson, I never get lost," said Thurman, not even taking a look if the rest is following him.

"Now that makes me feel safe...," muttered Daniel for himself.

The walk went in silence, occasionaly Thurman making a remark about something he thought was very funny and worth mentioning, but without getting any response. More so, every time he had spoken made Sam cringe her teeth. Not just the cocky comments, but the similarity with a certain someone. Even the fog and cautious movement couldn´t occupy her mind enough. She would be thankful for any small distraction, but it was all useless.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, we´re here." Thurman pushed away the last hanging lianes from the trees that have been accompanying them througout the route which suddenly revealed a magnificent view. SG-1 walked out from the forest and stopped stunned from the scenery.

Before them stood a great – no, _huge _– stone-like temple. Some parts were in ruins, but nonetheless a big part has been left untouched.

"It almost looks like that temple in India....," said major Gellar who was also in awe.

"You mean Angkor Vat in Cambodia," corrected him Daniel, but nodded. „Yes, the architecture is very similar, altough this looks older..."

"Much, much older."

It was Doctor Edward Merrith, who was followed by the last SG-5 member Major Rivers.

Merrith was a young, aspiring archelogist and resembled Daniel in a lot of ways. He shook hands with Daniel, obviously delighted to meet the man himself.

"I´m honoured to meet you, Doctor Jackson. I have been to all your lectures you had at the University..."

Daniel nodded and waved his hand. „I still have a lot to study myself. As this here..."

"Yes, yes, it´s a mystery. The preliminary examinations show that the temple is more than 3000 years old. It does look like the Angkor, although the interior is very different. The inscriptions are in an unknown language and – "

„I´m sorry to break it up, but could we continue this chatter inside?" Thurman cut them off and without response took a carved path that lead to the temple.

Sam, watching out for mis-stepping, caught up with Thurman. „Colonel, has this place shown any life-forms?"

Thurman stopped and looked at her. „No, nothing. besides a few leeches, there is nothing. Ghost planet, you can call it."

"What about radiation? How about the stability of this place?"

"Colonel, with all due respect, we are not a bunch of idiots who just came here jumping into action. We´ve been here for already 14 hours, and the last two of them were spend with direct research. Or do you not believe in our competence?" Thurman tilted his head to side and pierced Sam with his disgruntled look.

"No, Colonel, I would have never allowed that." Sam replied and made sure that it didn´t sound apologetic.

"You know....there is truly something about you.....Colonel." Thurman stooped a bit to Sam who widenen her eyes confused. „E-excuse me?" Thurman looked like he was about to say something more but he was interrupted by a hurried voice coming from the entrance hall.

"Sam! Could you come here for a moment? I think you would be interested in thi– " Daniel walked in to the small chamber and immediately backed away. „Oh, sorry, didn´t want to....disturb you..."

"It´s okay, we were just clearing up mission reports," Sam repleid quickly and turned to Daniel. „What did you want to show me?"

Daniel blinked. „Uh, yeah, sure...it´s this way." He pointed behng his back and lead her. When they left the chamber, Daniel asked, trying to sound uniterested. „Everything okay?"

"Yeah, sure..."

"Well, you don´t sound so sure..."

"It´s okay, trust me, we were just discussing safety arrangements."

"If you say so."

They came into a remote part of the temple, a large, oval shaped cascade room that spiraled downward. The walls have been covered with hundreds of larger-than life sized statues. Some of them were damaged, some were covered in moss, but the rest looked like they were just waiting for their awakening.

"This place is sure...creepy." Sam said gazing around at the statues. Their hollow looks didn´t make her feel good. Her scientific part knew it was irrational to imagine anything, that they were just statues, but the rest of her wanted to go back.

"Yeah...well, hopefully this won´t freak you out."

"Huh, what?" She turned around and finally spotted it – in the centre of the room, which was a good few tens of meters under them was a huge, marble altair. The altair looked fairly untouched, despite few damaged parts. The sculpute that depicted a young woman being surrounded by dead bodies, cut-off libms and heads whith horror-sticken faces was made of a glossy, grey stone. The woman also held one of the heads and stared into its dead glare with a satisfied, almost laughing expression. But what made her gasp in shock, was the appearance of the statue itself – a striking likeness with a one young, blond Colonel, who was staring at her own image.

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End Notes: Well, hopefully this chapter wasn´t too boring....Thanks for reading and reviews!


	3. The Kingdom of Sanctity, part II

The group stared at the statue for a while not being sure what to say. Finally Dr. Merrith broke the silence.

"Well....the resemblance is.....surely there...."

"Indeed." Teal´c tilted his head in agreement.

Sam was still gazing at the altair. The similarity was there, no doubt about that, but still....it looked so surreal.

"So....what are we going to do with it?" asked the young archeologist, stepping closer to the edge of the cascade wall, taking a better look at the monument.

"Investigate it," suddenly ordered Sam. „That´s why we came here, isn´t it?", she took the pocket-scanner and pointed it at the statue. „It doesn´t emit any radiation or electrical waves...I guess it´s safe to go down there." She put the scanner into her backpack and jumped from the edge onto the lower floor. The others followed her.

"It´s strange though....the style of the altair is fairly different from the rest of the temple...," stated Daniel half-talking to himself, but carefully climbing down the slick ledges.

"Maybe it was brought here ...or built later," speculated Merrith.

"But why? Why would they?" countered Daniel.

"Well, maybe the old statue that was there was destroyed or they just wanted to make it more interesting....," he stopped talking when he got a sceptic look from his idol.

The group successfully climbed down to the core of the chapel. The humidity in the area was a lot more notable than in the rest of palace. Greasy moss covered most of the floor and every step was followed by a splosh. Bracken grew from walls and created in the middle of a stone pit a mini-jungle on its own. The rock-hewn sculptures silently observed the curious group who was now trying to take a closer look at the writings engraved on the pedestal.

"Doctor Jackson? Do you recognize any of the characters?" Merrith started to copy them into his sketchpad.

"No...not like-"

"Really?" Sam interrupted them. „I´m sure I´ve already seen them somewhere." She looked up to see the two men staring at her in disbelief. „Wh-what? I mean...they look familiar...," Sam slowly ran over the signs with her finger, musing to herself.

"Well....," Daniel´s thoughts were interrupted by a sudden ear-piercing scream echoing through-out the temple.

"What the hell was that?!" Merrith jumped on his feet and looked up to the entrance with a terrified look on his face.

"I don´t know....it sounded like a woman´s voice," Daniel got up to his feet and released his gun, Teal´c following his motion. Sam did the same and activated her radio. „Colonel Thurman, this is Carter. Are you okay?"

"....."

"Colonel Thurman, please respond."

".....," The response was only a buzzing noise.

Sam exchanged looks with Teal´c and turned to the others. "Okay, we´re wrapping this one up. Teal´c and I will go check the situation. Rivers, you go with Daniel and Merrith ahead and contact the SGC." The group nodded and started to climb their way up the storeyed wall-slab.

As they hurried to the top, a sound of gunfire cut across the air. They started to hurry even more, but their movement was slowed down by the slickery rim that covered the edges.

Almost at the top, when the rest of the group made their way to the entrance, Sam stopped on the last edge and tried to contact them again.

"Colonel Thurman, this is Colonel Carter, please respond!"

".....Thi.....s...wer...under f.....req..st ..kup..." then the radio went silent.

"Something is jamming the frequency...." She took a quick glance at the scanner - the EMF index was high above the average. She shouted at the group not to wait for her and jumped up to the last store. Hoping it would quicken her progress she glanced off the nearest sculpture and reached out for the edge.

The rest looked like it was played in slow motion. Her hands caught the brim but slipped under the sleek surface, and she leant over, falling all the way down to the centre of the room. Her hand reached out into space and she saw Tealc´s horrified look who turned into a smudge shortly before everything going pitch-black.

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Author´s note: Well, this was the last introduction (and short) chapter.....now can the fun finally begin! Enjoy, and review if you want!


	4. First Contact

He knew something was bad was going to happen.

He had this feeling for over a week now. Every phone call, every unauthorized off-world activation....would make him nervously jump to his feet. He felt like something was watching him, waiting for the opportunity to snatch at him. He just didn´t know what and when it would happen, and that was making him crazy.

No one could help him, no one could understood his mood or his actions, not even himself.

The same scenario repeated every day. He would go to his office, grunting to himself, he would do some paperwork, make a few calls, read some reports, do some more paperwork, and go to get some sleep. After few restless hours he would go back to his office and finish the paperwork. Something kept him from going home, from leaving the gloomy underground base. The uncertainity would follow him everywhere, and he didn´t want to bring it outside and infect the rest of the world. No, he was not going to do that. Not while he was still at least a bit sane.

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The gate suddenly started to spin and soon a wormhole activated.

"Unauthorized off-world activation!"

Jack got up from his comfortable chair and hesitantly walked up the stairs to the control room.

"It´s SG-1 and SG-5, Sir." Siler reported and leant forward to the speaker to request a medical team. „They sent a distress code, Sir," explained Siler Jack´s surprised look.

"Open the Iris."

The teams started to emerge from the wormhole. Teal´c walked out as the last one with Sam carried unconscious in his arms. Jack´s heart sank when he saw her head bandaged, and her jacket sopping in blood. He forced his feet to move and walked down to the gate, but he couldn´t manage to say anything. Daniel, kneeling there and panting, started to explain.

"We were in the middle of exploring when the rest got attacked....We started to move out and went to their help but Sam....she...it was a weird, tower-like room....she slipped and she fell to the ground....it must have been at least 25 feet .... and she hit her head on the altair...," they both watched her being put on stretcher and hastily carried away.

"Debriefing in one hour," Jack said blankly, not even looking at the rest of group and left the gate room.

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_"I was waiting for so long..."_

_"...I almost lost my hope...."_

_"...but then you came...."_

_"....and now I can...."_

_"....finally...."_

_"...get my -"_

"- revenge," Sam muttered. The nurse, who was checking her medical record, turned abruptly and blinked. Sam lay in her motionless, still in narcosis. Nurse eyed her life signs, and shrug, resuming her reading.

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"Well, we didn´t exactly see what attacked us...," admitted Major Rivers in the conference room and mood was grim and tense. The two SG teams were now in the sole mercy of the General.

"...Let me recapitulate it. You heard a woman screaming from the _secured _area and then you were attacked by an _unseen_ enemy who was sopposed to throw rocks at you."

"The rocks couldn´t just pick themselves and fly on their own!" Thurman hissed, folding his arms annoyed.

"Watch the tone, Colonel," Jack snapped at him. No one dared to speak, no one wanted to be buried under the pile of unanswered questions and mistakes. No one wanted, and no one could answer them. And Jack was getting more and more impatient.

"Can anyone of you here explain what on Earth were you thinking? You know, there are regs we need to obey, and they are here for a god-damn reason! You don´t run across an unfamiliar land like a fairy just because there is some old statue!" Jack growled at Daniel, who tried to defend himself, but was stopped.

"The same for you two! I could - _should_ - relieve you from duty! You violated at least five basic rules of mission tactics," he threw angry look at Thurman and Rivers.

Merrith finally plucked up the nerve and dare to spoke. "Sir, with all due respect, this temple is like something we have never encountered before. The world, the civilization is completely unknown, we had to take the risk and to take advantage of it! Who knows what could it hide! Maybe it´s a door to a completey new technology, culture, part of galaxy - "

"_So what?_" Jack interupted him. „That doesn´t mean we have to act like suicidal maniacs when we enter an uknown situation! That´s what regluations are for! Regulations! To help us act properly in an unknown situations for God´s sake!"

"If something you can´t even see attacks us, aren´t we allowed defend ourselves?" Thurman snapped back.

"Your reckless attitude brought the whole mission into jeopardy and almost cost a life of one of our men!"

_"Men?"_ Thurman whispered, snickering. "No offense, _Sir,_ but if I remember correctly, Colonel Carter _slipped._

"Sam slipped because she hurried to help you!" Daniel shouted at Thurman. He just shrugged and leaned back in the chair.

"I do not remember Colonel Thruman making regular radio contact after we separated," Teal´c spoke for the first time, looking at Thurman with his ice-cold stare.

"I tried! But the radio didn´t work," Thruman answered back annoyed. Rivers uncomfortably squirmed uncomfortably.

"I´ve had enough of this. Full reports till tomorrow. Dismissed," Jack stood up, gathered documents and stormed out of the room.


	5. Shame

Clanks echoed through the silent infirmary room. Sam hunted a pea with her fork, deliberately missing. Clashing the fork against the plate helped her ease her anger. She didn´t care about the meal - it was still just an infirmary food, tasteless, formless, and colourless. But she wasn´t even hungry. She lost her appetite and the bitter taste in her mouth certainly didn´t help her gain it back.

You should eat it...you haven´t eaten anything in quite a while. With this your condition will only worsen...," nurse warned her again, but Sam ignored her pleas. She broodily syudied her broken wrist, firmly bandaged and fixed. She was told to be lucky to even survive the fall, but Sam wasn´t sure if she wold call herself lucky for that. Misfortune would be more fitting.

"She´s so stubborn...," muttered nurse to herself, obviously discouraged from the lack of her authority. "These are doctor´s orders! You have to listen to them. I´m sorry, I know that the food isn´t the most delicious around, but – " the young nurse gulped when she saw Sam´s annoyed glare piercing her. Nurse stared into the cold dark blue eyes and gulped. She straightened up and cleared her throat. "If you don´t obey, I will inform the doctor – "

"_That won´t be necessary_," said Sam in a sweet tone and threw smile at the nurse. Sam dipped the fork into the greasy mass of mashed potatoes. Nurse blinked and staggered for a moment from the sudden change of attitude.

"See, it wasn´t that difficult....we didn´t have to argue about it like children and could concentrate on the healing process much sooner...," the nurse sighed when she saw again the lack of interest from Sam in her.

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"Jack! Jack!" Daniel shouted through the hallway and made his way through the crowded corridor to his friend.

"Daniel?" Jack asked, not stopping and not waiting for the archeologist to catch up with him.

"About the mission-"

"Not now, Daniel."

"But Jack – "

"Another time, Daniel."

"No, listen to me, there´s something wrong with Thurman´s story. I mean – "

"I said, we´ll talk about it _later_," Jack walked into his office and shut his door. Daniel ignored it and followed him in, not listening to Jack´s annoyed remark.

"You do realize that you´re now walking on a very thin line, Daniel?" Jack warned him, but Daniel just threw a bunch of documents on his desk and sat in the chair against him.

"Well sorry for wanting to find out the truth behind the attack....,"

"Why thank you."

"Well you should. You can´t just let people making up things to cover up their mistakes! And I think we should return to that planet, not just because of the – " Daniel looked at Jack who was writing something down.

"Are you even listening?"

"Nope."

Daniel sighed, "By the way, Sam is awake."

"Yeah, I know."

"Did you visit her?"

"Yes, I did."

"And?"

"And what?" Jack snapped fretfully.

"And what did she tell you?"

Jack stopped writing something and startled. The whole conversation appeared in front of him like a nightmare.

_"Carter...glad you made it."_

_"...Thank you."_

_"Doctor said you were lucky...."_

_"Yes...."_

Long and awkward pause followed. Sam glanced from her bed to her wrist, then on Jack and then finally settling on the white sheet. She opened and closed her mouth like a fish taken from water, trying to find the right words.

_"Carter?"_

_"I....I´m sorry....I messed up...,"_ Sam mouthed the sentence, not sure if she even wanted him to hear it.

_"What was that?"_ Jack asked carefully, not wanting to sound pushy, but he knew very well what she had said.

_"I....I failed again."_ Sam´s eyes started to fill with tears. Jack just watched her crumble in front of him. He wanted her to comfort her, to cheer her up, but somehow the words didn´t come out. He wasn´t able to bring himself to say something like that, not wanting to revive old emotions he had been trying so hard to bury.

_"Excuse me Sir, but I don´t feel very well. Could you leave me?"_

_"Carter..."_

_"Please – "_

_"...Okay."_

Jack looked up at Daniel and slowly spoke,"That she´s fine and will heal in no-time,"

"You didn´t visit her."

"Actually yes, I did."

"You are hopeless...," Daniel shook his head. He stood up and walked to the door, taking a last look at Jack. „You know, what goes around, comes around....," he said and left the room.

"I did visit her!" Jacked called back at him but wasn´t sure if it meant anything. He sighed and sank into his chair.

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Sam stared at the overhead lamp, the conversation still resounding in her ears_. _She didn´t pay attention to Teal´c who even brought flowers. She was mean, she knew it, but she couldn´t pretend everything was okay. And then there were the bursts of sharp pain that stroke through her head as a guillotine whenever she started to think about something else. Sam cringed when the pain irrupted again.

"Are you okay, Colonel Carter?" Teal´c asked when she saw her grimace.

"Yeah...it happens now and then...," Sam took a deep breath and lightly massaged her temples.

"Maybe it would be wise to confront it with the doctor," Teal´c noted, sounding concerned.

"It´s okay, thanks Teal´c," Sam smiled at him. He glanced at her with doubt.

"Uh...Teal´c ...," she started slowly, trying to look oblivious to the whole situation , "have you already spokean with the General? About the mission..."

"Yes, we had a briefing shortly after our arrival."

"And what did he say?"

"He wasn´t too pleased with the result."

Sam ridged and looked down guiltily. This was supposed to be the mission when she would finally prove herself as a competent leader. But she had to prove it on a mission with the worst of all SG teams and end it with the worst of all possible endings.

"However he did express a deep concern for your state." Teal´c noded his head in hope to cheer her up with the information.

But Sam looked at him in disbelief. „What? Oh no, I´m sure he didn´t say that – " she started to laugh ´c open his mouth to reply back but was interrupted by doctor.

"I´m sorry, but you will have to leave now. Time for a med check....if you excuse us." The young doctor pushed Teal´c away and closed the white curtain around Sam´s bed, not giving her a chance to protest.

"I shall come later then," he threw look at the doctor, but she didn´t notice it. "Take care, Colonel."

"Thanks, Te-," his name was absorbed in a painful shriek, followed by doctor´s complaints and Sam´s grumping.

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Five levels above was Dr. Merrith sitting behind his desk, staring at the numerous photographs taken at the temple. Inscriptions, architecture, even the odd statue looked so familiar, and yet none of it made sense when put together. He ran through the database countless times, but without any success. He tried to organize at least the few facts they had gathered, but even those were hard to sort out. The whole situation looked like taken from an old myth, something someone just made up to scare kids and to present his hidden opinions.

"Maybe...maybe if it weren´t for the statue...," he took one close-up shot of the sculpture, examing it thoroughly once more. „What are you...," he ran his finger across the paper.

"Still looking at the statue?"

Merrith jumped and turned around to find Daniel looking at him, slightly amused.

"It almost looks like you´ve fallen in love..." he mused.

"Wh-what? N-no, I just – err-...hey,how long have you been here?" he asked finally.

"Just enough time to get that idea."

"Oh..."his cheeks turned red. "I didn´t fall in love, it´s just...so fascinating. I mean, not the statue itself, I mean, cut off limbs aren´t a pleasant look for me, but....it´s so mysterious. Everything. It won´t let me...I need to find out what it is."

"Well that´s a motivated person," he put a pile of books he had been for in his office on his already packed table and pointed at them. "This is all I could find that could be helpful. I excluded almost every culture we´ve encountered, but found some very promosing matches."

"Really? I´ve ran through the database but nothing ever – "

"Oh yeah, well...there are certain things that just aren´t meant for a database," Daniel said conspiratively.

"Really? Why? I mean – "

"How about concentrating on this now? We have about a day to find a clue before Jack throws the whole mission out of window and we´ll never set our foot on that planet again."

"True....but General sure has been nasty lately..." Merrith murmured, taking a book and going through it. Daniel didn´t say anything, but he looked at the door, just to make sure Jack wasn´t standing there. He then grabbed a book too and started going through the notes.

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Author´s notes : Well, longest chapter so far.....Enjoy and reviews/crits are welcome.


	6. Shades of grey

Jack sighed as he browsed through the reports. They made sense, that was undeniable. The events correspondent in all of them, despite it´s fairy-talishness. Thurman and Gellar were either telling the truth or they were two cunning bastards. Jack was more afraid of the second option – to have someone that manipulative and sly in the base wasn´t very reassuring, even if he was still under Jack´s command. Now that the IOA started to nitpick everything that moved in the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, he was more occupied with explaing to President that everything was peachy and the IOA was just making boguses. It hasn´t been short time ago he realized he wasn´t recognizing some of the faces in the base. But some faces showed up much more frequently than they should....

Jack rolled his eyes and put the report neatly on the desk, surrendering, "_Daniel?_" It´s been for the third time this day the archeologist paid him a visit.

"Jack, I think we found something," Daniel quickly said.

"Again?" Jack lazily asked and started to play with the little air-fighter model he had there just for these occasions. "Is it just me having a little déjavu moment? I swear I have heard this before..."

"Now it´s different. Besides, I´m not talking about Thurman now."

"Thank God you aren´t. I´ve had enough of that person...," Jack frowned.

"We found something about the planet," continued Daniel, "we didn´t realize this until I had gone through old notes that weren´t in the database, because after the incident on - "

"Just spill it out already," Jack snapped.

"We´ve met the culture before."

"So?"

"That means we can find out more about the temple and the world and eventually...," Daniel paused. He expected a more enthusiastic reaction than Jack´s frowning. "Eventually a weapons against Anubis," he added, hoping that would catch Jack´s attention. But he just looked at Daniel sceptically, shaking his head.

"Why are you so fascinated about that planet? Why do you want to waste time with such a hostile place?" They both studied each other. Daniel didn´t know how to convince Jack, and Jack didn´t know how to discourage Daniel.

Daniel, beginning to sense that the mission is lost, groaned and glanced at Jack.

"Don´t give me that look!" Jack snapped back. „You know we expect Anubis to attack us at any time, we can´t afford to divide our forces just like that!"

"All I´m asking is one team. One team. It doesn´t even have to be military!" Daniel pleased and let Jack think about it. And Jack thought about it and though about it.

"Well?" Daniel asked carefully, when he thought the decision-making was starting to be a bit long.

"One team," he scowled. "And after any sign of truble, you get out of there and I´m putting the address on the red list. Understood?"

Daniel jumped out of the chair," I knew you´d make the right decision." Jack grumbled.

"Oh and about the team...I get to pick it, okay?" Daniel watched Jack´s resigning in the matter.

"Whatever you want..."

"Then I also want a briefing about the mission."

Jack just waved his hands in air.

"Oh and one more thing....," Daniel stopped at the door and turned to Jack´s abhorred face.

„Thanks," Daniel nodded and left suprised Jack and office.

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Sam put on her black, long-sleeve T-shirt, still not realising she was finally getting out of the infirmary. The week-long stay nearly drove not only her but also the personnel nuts. Sam didn´t like the new doctor, and the new doctor didn´t like her.

"No excercing, overexertion or any severe physical activity. And you will have to change your day regime. Less working and more resting. Unless you want to be here again," doctor ordered and was writing something into Sam´s medical files.

_´Don´t worry, I´d rather die than to have to spend more time with you,´_ Sam thought to herself as she was putting on her boots.

„I will also inform General O´Neill about your conditions and prescibred treatment," the doctor continued her lecture in the same, irritating voice Sam was hearing all week.

_´Have sex with__ him if that´ll make you happy,´_ Sam grinded her teeth. She wanted to throw the boot she was putting on at the doctor.

"And you will also come for regular physical and mental check-ups."

Sam glowered at the doctor, staightening up. "Mental check ups?"

"Of course, I don´t have to explain the importance of them after such an injury and mission," doctor said, but from her voce Sam could feel her sneering.

"Very well...," Sam gave up, now seriously wanting just to get the hell out of the room. She took the medicine she had on her bedside table. The small present from Daniel and Teal´c wass still there untouched, as the doctor prohibited any consumation of anything other than the infirmary meal and pills. Sam took the package and smiled. _´At least they bothered....´_ When he was walking to the entrance she felt the doctor´s disdainful look on her back and shivered. _´Just what in the world is her problem...?" _

It didn´t take long for Sam to get back to her hectic lifestyle. Soon enough she found herself again in the endless swirl of reports, experiments and calculations. But she didn´t complain. She felt safe in her lab, lab where no one set foot because they risked to be bored to death. Even the one person that always made her cheer up was now stuck in the General´s office.

Sam sipped from the cold coffee tam was there from early morning and tried to concentrate. The pain in her head popped up more and more frequently although Sam blamed that on extensive thinking. She just took some painkillers and moved on.

"I need to get some rest...." Sam admitted. She sighed as she thought about the tomorrow´s briefing. It´ll be their first meeting since teh awkward visit in the infirmary....And Sam wasn´t looking forward to it at all.

* * *

Author´s notes: Enjoy, and review if you like, thanks!


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